Amos Doolittle Copper-Plate Social Library Company Engraved Bookplate Print

About Auction

Live

Autographs, Colonial Currency, Political Amer...

By Early American History Auctions

Aug 24, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-08-24 12:00:00 2019-08-24 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Autographs, Colonial Currency, Political Americana, Historic Guns https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/early-american-history-auctions/autographs-colonial-currency-political-americana-historic-guns-4347
Historic Autographs • Colonial Currency • American Civil War Colonial Era • Revolutionary War • Political Americana • Black History Early American History Auctions auctions@earlyamerican.com

View Full Catalog (332)

• Lot Description
  Federal Period
  Extremely Rare Amos Doolittle Copper-Plate Engraved Bookplate Print for the "Social Library Company" the Best of Doolittle's Few Examples of His Engraved Bookplates
  c. 1807 Federal Period, Amos Doolittle (1754-1832), American Engraver and Silversmith also known as "The Paul Revere of Connecticut," Engraved Bookplate Printed for the "Social Library Company," with his name "A. Doolittle" engraved in the plate as Designer and Engraver, Choice Very Fine.
  Amos Doolittle, Engraved Bookplate for the Social Library Company titled, "SOCIAL LIB'Y COMPANY" in banner at top, printed in black on wove period paper. This large elaborately engraved plate carries his name as designer and engraver at the bottom right of the engraved plate's image. This a very scarce, rarely seen Bookplate with only a few examples known, which type is lacking in most collections and held by only a few, mostly by institutions. Doolittle only engraved a total of Seven (7) different Bookplates of which only Two (2) were for individual persons.
  
  In 1807 another library was organized, though not incorporated until 1810, which was known as the "Social Library Company," and for this Amos Doolittle designed and engraved a Bookplate. This Social Library Company Bookplate is in some respects the best of Doolittle's Bookplates. Across the top is a ribbon bearing the name, and underneath is a black cloud in which are two well-fed sweet-faced Cherubs, holding in their hands a huge scroll on which are the words, "Theology, History, Biography, Voyages and Travels, Classical", indicating the character of the books in the Library. You will notice the absence of Fiction, as this Library frowned upon that branch of literature. In the distance is shown a large house on a knoll among the trees, while nearer is a body of water, and on the grass in the immediate foreground are books and scrolls, plus a compass, and a globe. Underneath all that is the perfectly proper sentiment, and eminently sage advice, as follows:
  
  "Tis Books a lasting pleasure can supply, / Charm while we live and teach us how to die, / Seek here ye Young the anchor of your mind, / Here suffering Age a blest provision find."
  Amos Doolittle's Bookplates:
  
  Of the known Bookplates engraved by Amos Doolittle, his four local Library engraved plates are by far the most interesting, as they are the most pretentious. Two are College plates, one for the Brothers in Unity, and the other for the Linonian Library. The former was designed by Wm. Taylor, the latter presumably was designed as well as Engraved by Doolittle. They are quaint and crude both in design and workmanship. The plate for the Linonian Library is dated 1802. It is rich in allegory, and full of detail.
  
  The other two local Library plates were the plates of the Mechanic Library and the Social Library Company. The former was organized in 1793, the first meeting of the organizers being held in the State House, February 5th of that year. This is probably the earliest public or semipublic library in the city. There seems to have been some connection between it and the Mechanic Society of which Mr. Doolittle was a member, or at all events his funeral was attended by the Mechanic Society, which would indicate his membership in it. The library never reached large proportions. A catalogue published sometime after 1801 shows nine hundred volumes. This library had two book-plates. The smaller and supposed earlier plate is not signed by Doolittle, but that he engraved it there can be little doubt.
  
  As an indication of some connection between this library and the Society of Mechanics it may be stated that this plate, only slightly altered, appears as a wood-cut in the advertisement in the paper of the meetings of the Society. For mechanics as for readers of books the motto was, "Improve the Moment." That was back in 1800. The larger and more elaborate plate carries his name as designer and engraver.
  
  In 1807 another library was organized, though not incorporated until 1810. This was known as the Social Library Company, and for this Doolittle designed and engraved a book-plate. I might add that in 1815 the Mechanic Library was merged with the Social Library Company, and the two were known as the Social Library, which existed under this name until 1840. This Social Library Company book-plate is in some respects the best of Doolittle's book-plates. It has its defects, but on the whole it presents a very neat and attractive appearance.
  
  Across the top is a ribbon bearing the name, and underneath is a black cloud in which are two well-fed, sweet-faced cherubs, holding in their hands a huge scroll on which are the words, Theology, History, Biography, Voyages and Travels, Classical, indicating the character of the books in the library. You will notice the absence of Fiction. This library frowned upon that branch of literature. In the distance is a large house on a knoll among the trees, while nearer is a body of water, and on the grass in the immediate foreground are books and scrolls, and a compass, and a globe. Underneath all is the perfectly proper sentiment, and eminently sage advice,
  
  "Tis Books a lasting pleasure can supply,
  
  Charm while we live and teach us how to die,
  
  Seek here ye Young the anchor of your mind,
  
  Here suffering Age a blest provision find."
  
  Courtesy of Project Canterbury:
  
  An Old New Haven Engraver and His Work: Amos Doolittle, By William Agur Beardsley, New Haven: no publisher, 1914.
  
• Shipping Info

  • Early American provides in-house worldwide shipping. Please contact us directly if you have questions about your specific shipping requirements.

• Buyer's Premium
  • 23.00 %